King’s anti-food waste project saves equivalent of more than two million meals

The King’s Coronation Food Project has saved 940 tonnes of surplus food – the equivalent of more than two million meals, according to an impact report marking the first anniversary of the initiative.

Charles, who is celebrating his 76th birthday on Thursday, launched the drive a year ago and since then more than £15 million has been raised to design, build and run a future network of up to 10 Coronation Food Hubs across the UK.

The King is opening the first two Coronation Food Hubs – one in person in Deptford in south London, and another virtually in Knowsley, Merseyside – on his birthday.

Three more hubs are due open in the year ahead, the report revealed.

The project aims to bridge the gap between food waste and food need across the UK, by saving more surplus food, supercharging food distribution networks and delivering a flexible funding programme to support the wider sector.

The initiative, which partners with The Felix Project and FareShare, has made “significant and tangible progress towards achieving” its goals, the report said.

As well as saving 940 tonnes of surplus food in its first year – equivalent to 2.24 million meal portions, a further 1,900 tonnes – or 4.5 million meals – have also been donated by partners of the project.

Meanwhile, £715,000 has been awarded by the King Charles III Charitable Fund (KCCF) to 33 charities working in some of the most deprived parts of the country, with the grants set to enable the rescue of 640 tonnes of food waste, feeding 95,000 people.

A large grant to the Trussell Trust has provided support to its network of more than 1,300 food banks throughout the UK, which last year distributed more than 3.1 million emergency food parcels – the highest number in its history.

In November last year, major supermarkets and food manufacturers signed a pledge to support the project.

Developments include M&S and the 2 Sisters Food Group launching an initiative creating one million ready meals such as vegetable curry and family-sized pizzas from surplus ingredients through a unique supplier club, while Asda and Morrisons have focused on produce recovery within their supply chains.

An estimated 25% of all food in the UK is wasted, the report said.